Paradise Preoccupied

This story from the BBC about eyes caught mine today.

Partially sighted and registered blind people can be taught to read and see faces again using the undamaged parts of their eyes, say experts.

Very interesting, especially to me since every eye examination I have reveals to yet another eye guy that I have a “blind spot” in my macula.

This isn’t anything I notice on a day-to-day basis, but under the conditions of the examination it becomes glaringly apparent … a honkin’ big hole in the screen on which my vision is projected.

No idea if I was born this way or sustained some injury I don’t recall, but I have, apparently, lived with this defect for a very long time.

As the BBC article points out, compensation occurs … the brain fills in the gap to the point that I perceive nothing of what I don’t see, or, as the title puts it: Eye ‘compensates for blind spot’.

Now … if this could just translate from literal blind spots to those more figurative.

I know I have a few, and although I’m happy enough with the blind spots I have when it comes to my kids, I could use some blending of the edges in other areas.
How convenient would it be if my brain could fill in the gaps I don’t quite grasp?

Math has always been an issue for me no matter how much time and effort I’ve focused toward getting a handle on formulas and equations and such, and it would be a big help if the bit of my head that doesn’t see the connections could have some other bit take up the slack.

Taking this a step further, I’m thinking the world would be a better place if, as with vision, compassion deficits … blind spots in tolerance … got the same treatment.

Imagine if this amazing biology we’re evolving were to develop a capacity to fill emptiness with empathy and apathy with appreciation.